TOPOGRAPHICAL ANATOMY

OF THE HEAD
Vclav Ba, David Kachlk
Tereza Smrov, Martin Holek, Katarina Hubkova, Radek Jaka
Department of Anatomy, Third Faculty of Medicine,
Charles University in Prague
supported by grant FRVS 1101/2008/F3

SKULL VAULTS
BORDERS:
skin
subcutneous connective tissue
galea aponeurotica
loose subgalear connective tissue

CONTENT:

nerves and blood vessels

(enables scalping)
venae emissariae

pericranium
lamina externa calvariae
diploe
lamina interna calvariae

venae diploicae
venae emissariae
granulationes arachnoideales

dura mater cerebralis

arachnoidea mater cerebralis
pia mater cerebralis

sinus sagittalis superior

ORBIT
BORDERS:
CRANIAL:
pars orbitalis ossis frontalis (fovea trochlearis + spina trochlearis, incisura/foramen
frontalis/supraorbitalis, fossa glandulae lacrimalis), ala minor ossis sphenoidalis (fissura
orbitalis sup.)
MEDIAL:
processus frontalis maxillae (fossa sacci lacrimalis), os lacrimale, lamina orbitalis ossis
ethmoidalis (foramina ethm. ant. et post.), ala minor ossis sphenoidalis
LATERAL:
facies orbitalis ossis zygomatici (foramen zygomaticoorbitale), facies orbitalis alae
majoris ossis sphenoidalis
CAUDAL:
facies orbitalis ossis zygomatici, facies orbitalis corporis maxillae (sulcus et canalis
infraorbitalis, fissura orbitalis inf.), processus orbitalis ossis palatini

Aditus orbitae apex orbitae

Orbita is divided by theoretical planes into 3 levels.

UPPER LEVEL
(floor is formed by m. levator palpebrae superioris)
nervus lacrimalis
arteria lacrimalis
vena lacrimalis
glandula lacrimalis (pars orbitalis)
nervus frontalis ( nervus supraorbitalis + nervus supratrochlearis)
vasa supraorbitalia
vasa supratrochlearia
nervus trochlearis
musculus levator palpabrae superioris (+ musculus tarsalis sup.)
corpus adiposum orbitae

MIDDLE LEVEL
(ceiling is formed by m. rectus bulbi sup., floor by theoretical level of n. opticus)
musculi recti bulbi (sup., med., lat.), musculus obliquus bulbi sup.
nervus opticus, vasa centralia retinae
nervus nasociliaris ( nervi ethmoidales ant. et post., nervi ciliares longi, nervus
infratrochlearis), ramus sup. nervi oculomotorii, nervus abducens, ganglion
ciliare ( nervi ciliares breves)
arteria ophtalmica ( arteria ethmoidalis ant. et post., arteriae ciliares posteriores brev.
et long., arteriae palpebrales med.)
plexus ophtalmicus
vena ophtalmica sup.
glandula lacrimalis (pars palpebralis)
corpus adiposum orbitae

LOWER LEVEL
musculus rectus bulbi inf.(+ musculus tarsalis inf.), musculus obliquus bulbi inf.
ramus inferior nervi oculomotorii, nervus infraorbitalis, nervus zygomaticus (
ramus communicans cum nervo lacrimali)
vasa infraorbitalia
vena ophtalmica inf.
musculus orbitalis
saccus lacrimalis
corpus adiposum orbitae
bulbus oculi

ANULUS TENDINEUS COMMUNIS

(Zinni, common tendinous ring)
BORDERS:

CONTENT:
canalis opticus

tissue cover encycling the canalis

opticus and inner and lower part of
fissura orbitalis superior
beginning of eyeball muscles

nervus opticus
arteria ophtalmica
plexus ophtalmicus
fissura orbitalis superior
nervus oculomotorius (both branches)
nervus abducens
nervus nasociliaris
beginnig of all the musculi recti bulbi

SINUS CAVERNOSUS
BORDERS:

venous sinus stretched from fissura

orbitalis superior to apex partis
petrosi ossis temporalis
(width 1cm, length 2 cm)

CONTENT:

arteria carotis interna (+ plexus

caroticus internus)
nervus abducens (mediocaudally)
nervus oculomotorius, nervus
trochlearis, nervus ophtalmicus
(V/1), nervus maxillaris (V/2)
(descendentally in the lateral wall)

CAVITAS NASALIS OSSEA

BORDERS:

(bony nasal cavity)

CRANIAL:
cartilagines nasi laterales, ossa nasalia, pars
nasalis ossis frontalis, lamina cribrosa ossis
ethmoidalis, corpus ossis sphenoidalis

LATERAL:
cartilago alaris major et nasi lateralis, processus
frontalis + facies nasalis maxillae, os lacrimale,
labyrintus ethmoidalis, lamina perpendicularis
ossis palatini, lamina medialis processus
pterygoidei ossis sphenoidalis
CAUDALLY:
palatum durum (processus palatini maxillae, os
incisivum, lamina horizontalis ossis palatini),
palatum molle
SEPTUM:
pars membranacea, pars cartilaginea (cartilago
septi nasi), pars ossea (lamina
perpendicularis ossis ethmoidalis, vomer)

Apertura piriformis Choanae

CONTENT:
conchae nasales (sup., med., inf.) divide the space
into:
meatus nasi superior recessus
sphenoethmoidalis (small concha nas. suprema),
apertura sisus sphenoidalis
meatus nasi medius hiatus semilunaris (antrum
Highmori), infundibulum ethmoidale, ductus
frontonasalis
meatus nasi inferior apertura ductus
nasolacrimalis
meatus nasi communis - common part without
the conchas along the septum nasi
meatus nasopharyngeus - common part behind
the conchas

FOSSA TEMPORALIS
BORDERS:
LATERALLY:
arcus zygomaticus, fascia temporalis

CONTENT:
pterion (punctum Sylvii) four sutures meet
here
musculus temporalis

CRANIAL:
linea temporalis superior
VENTRAL:
facies temporalis ossis zygomatici

nervi temporales (V/3) (medially to m.

temporalis)
arteriae temporales prof. (ant. et post.)
arteria temporalis media (pierces the fascia)

CAUDAL:
crista infratemporalis ossis sphenoidalis
MEDIAL:
squama o. temporalis

ramus zygomaticotemporalis nervi zygomatici

(V/2)
(small branch of a. lacrimalis)
corpus adiposum buccae

FOSSA INFRATEMPORALIS
BORDERS:

CONTENT:

CRANIAL:
facies infratemporalis ossis sphenoidalis
(for. ovale et spinosum), squama ossis temporalis

musculus temporalis

VENTRAL:
tuber maxillae
DORSAL:
opens in spatium prestyloideum
MEDIAL:
lamina lat. proc. pterygoidei ossis sphenoidalis, proc.
pyramidalis ossis palatini
LATERAL:
ramus mandibulae

ateria maxillaris + its branches (pars pterygoidea)

plexus pterygoideus (medially of m. temporalis
and laterally of m. pterygoideus lat.)
musculus pterygoideus med. and lat.,
ganglion oticum
nervus petrosus minor, nervus mandibularis (V/3)
+ its branches,
chorda tympani
foramen mandibulae nervus alveolaris inf.
(V/3) + vasa alveolaria inf. (laterally)

FOSSA PTERYGOPALATINA
BORDERS:
CRANIAL:
facies maxillaris alae majoris ossis sphenoidalis

CONTENT:

VENTRAL:

ganglion pterygopalatinum (+
nervus canalispterygoidei)

facies infratemporalis maxillae (fissura orbitalis inferior)

MEDIAL:
lamina perpendicularis ossis palatini
(foramen sphenopalatinum)

DORSAL:
proc. pterygoideus (canalis pterygoideus)

LATERAL:
fissura pterygomaxillaris

CAUDAL:
canalis palatinus major

nervus maxillaris + its branches

arteria maxillaris + its branches
(pars pterygopalatina)
tributaries of plexus pterygoideus

SPATIUM
PTERYGOMANDIBULARE
BORDERS:
MEDIAL:
lateral surface of m. pterygoideus med.
LATERAL:
medial surface of ramus mandibulae
DORSAL:
glandula parotis

CONTENT:

nervus alveolaris inf.

arteria alveolaris inf.
vena alveolaris inf.
nervus lingualis
chorda tympani

SPATIUM PRESTYLOIDEUM
BORDERS:
CRANIAL:

CONTENT:

skull base

arteria palatina ascendens

DORSAL:

arteria carotis ext. (divides into

arteria maxillaris + arteria
temporalis superficialis at the
level of collum mandibulae)

septum styloideum

VENTRAL:
opens to fossa infratemporalis

LATERAL:
medial surface of m. pterygoideus med.

MEDIAL:
pharyngeal wall, fascia buccopharyngea

CAUDAL:
opens to the area of trigonum caroticum
at the level of venter post. m.
digastrici

glandula parotis
vena retromandibularis
branches of n. facialis (lat. border)

SPATIUM
RETROSTYLOIDEUM
BORDERS:
CRANIAL:

CONTENT:
arteria carotis int.

skull base (pars petrosa o. temporalis)

vena jugularis int.

VENTRAL:

nervus glossopharyngeus, nervus vagus (+

plexus pharyngeus, nervus laryxngeus
sup.)

septum styloideum

DORSAL:
lamina prevertebralis fascie cervicalis

MEDIAL:
opens to spatium retropharyngeum

LATERAL:

nervus accessorius, nervus hypoglossus,

ansa cervicalis profunda
vasa pharyngea ascendenta,
plexus (venosus) pharyngeus
venae pharyngeae

medial surface of m. sternocleidomastoideus

CAUDAL:
opens to the area of trigonum caroticum at
the level of venter post. m. digastrici

plexus caroticus internus (+ nervus

petrosus profundus)
truncus sympathicus (v lamina
prevertebralis fasciae cervicalis) +
ganglion cervicale superius

SPAPTIUM
RETROPHARYNGEUM
BORDERS:
CRANIAL:

CONTENT:

skull base (basis ossis occipitalis)

sparse tissue

VENTRAL:

plexus pharyngeus

posterior pharyngeal wall

DORSAL:
lamina prevertebralis fasciae cervicalis
(and m. longus colli behind it)

LATERAL:

nodi lymphoidei retropharyngeales

(two nodes at the level of C2
frequetly)
rami pharyngeales arteriae pharyngeae
ascendentis

opens to spatium retrostyloideum

venae pharyngeae

CAUDAL:

plexus (venosus) pharyngeus

opens to the space behind the

esophageus downwards up to
mediastinum superius

SEPTUM STYLOIDEUM
BORDERS:

CONTENT:

musculus stylopharyngeus
musculus styloglossus

stretches dorsolaterally
covered with lamina
pretrachealis fasciae
cervicalis

processus styloideus
(lig. stylohyoideum)
musculus stylohyoideus
venter post. m. digastrici
m. sternocleidomastoideus